Blog Post 6

The Networked Student

This video gave me a good idea of how to get expand on my PLN.  The networked student and I have done some of the same things as far as researching for certain articles, blogs, and websites that pertain to my future area of expertise.  I still haven't necessarily figured out how to use itunesU to my advantage but I'm working on it, it's still really cool o know that I can take part in a lecture from a professor at Berkeley.  I like how it pointed out why teachers are needed, because I often find myself on the fence when I am reading all of this information on why we don't need the classroom to learn or teach.  When I decided to become a teacher I never dreamed of my self as a guide to the outside world (well to an extent I did but not as much as I have seen lately).  It is still hard to disassociate myself from the schema of 20th century teaching-lecturing in front of the classroom.  Hopefully I will find the right balance, because I know that I, alone, cannot fully prepare them for their world ahead. But, with technology, my guidance, and my enthusiasm, I know I will be able to give them everything they deserve.

A 7th grader's PLN

I like how she pointed out that this way of learning gave her so much freedom that she felt the responsibility.  She can choose how she wants to learn, and when.  Before EDM310, I had never heard of such a thing, but the benefits should be enough to convince the skeptics.  I had forgotten how beneficial evernote, delicious, and symbaloo could be. I plan on using them in the future (I'm sure it will be much better than me taking screen shots of EVERYTHING I like then having my computer screen getting filled up everyday).

Smartboard Debate




Cathie  claimed that students' level of motivation and engagement had increased with the use of smartboards.


Silvia Tolisano shows us how the smartboard can help utilize Bloom's Taxonomy for the 21st century.

Bill Ferriter claims smartboards only:

• reinforce a teacher-centric model of learning
• attempt to move digital teacher-dinosaurs into the light. I ask you: Do we really want to spend thousands of dollars on a tool that makes stand-and-deliver instruction easier
• without time and training, they quickly become nothing more than really expensive overhead projectors.

Michael Staton says that smartboards

• don’t change the model that’s broken. They just make that model way more expensive.
• are an administrative cop out. Administrators like Smartboards because when they spend money on technology they need to spend a lot of it and it needs to be on things they can point to and count.

So after reading all of these blogs and articles, I am still not fully convinced of the benefits of smartboards.  I believe they can be used effectively IF the teacher is well trained and constantly looks for innovative ways to use it.  I asked my younger brother about the Smartboards in his classroom (the high school recently put smartboards in every classroom), and he said "they're really cool, they have lots of games and stuff."  But they rarely use them.  I said "so, basically they use them just like overhead projectors," he defensively stated "I said they were cool, OKAY."  He may think they're cool, but he said they don't play any educational games, students don't go up to the smart boards,  and they don't explore the web.  The teacher stands there, touches the screen and talks.  It may have my brother's attention because it's big and shiny, but unless the teacher effectively uses the interactive white board, it is a big waste of time and money for the education system. Hopefully the whiteboard project will change my mind, but at this point in time I remain unconvinced of the benefits of smartboards.